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. 2001 Jan;89(1):21-8.

Using a journal availability study to improve access

J Shaw-Kokot  1 , C de la Varre
Affiliations

Using a journal availability study to improve access

J Shaw-Kokot et al. Bull Med Libr Assoc. 2001 Jan.

Abstract

Purpose: Identify journal collection access and use factors.

Setting and subjects: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Health Sciences Library patrons.

Methodology: Survey forms and user interactions were monitored once a week for twelve weeks during the fall 1997 semester. The project was based on a 1989 New Mexico State University study and used Kantor's Branching Analysis to measure responses.

Result: 80% of reported sought journal articles were found successfully. Along with journal usage data, the library obtained demographic and behavioral information.

Discussion and conclusions: Journals are the library's most used resource and, even as more electronic journals are offered, print journals continue to make up the majority of the collection. Several factors highlighted the need to study journal availability. User groups indicated that finding journals was problematic, and internal statistics showed people requesting interlibrary loans for owned items. The study looked at success rates, time, and ease of finding journals. A variety of reasons contributed to not finding journals. While overall user reports indicated relatively high success rate and satisfaction, there were problems to be addressed. As the library proceeds in redesigning both the physical space and electronic presence, the collected data have provided valuable direction.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Search factors (failure codes)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Availibility analysis formCorrection factor = reported failures/analyzed failures = 393/343 = 1.15· Column A shows the number of failure occurrences in each category.· Column B shows the results of multiplying Column A by the correction factor, so distributing DBIB failure occurrences proportionately across the other data, as described above.· The numbers in Column C are obtained by progressively adding the adjusted figures in Column B to the total number of successful searches (1,663).· The final percentages obtained in Column D are found by dividing the lower number by the upper number in each consecutive pair of numbers in Column C.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Kantor's branching diagram
Figure 4
Figure 4
Performance measures from the analysis form
Figure 5
Figure 5
Breakdown of users by status
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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    1. Kantor PB. Measurement of availability using patron requests and branching analysis. In: Objective performance measures for academic and research libraries. Washington, DC: Association of Research Libraries, 1984 43–4.

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